Yogi Adityanath is a five-time Member of the Parliament from Gorakhpur constituency. He has represented the constituency in the Lok Sabha since 1998. His style of politics is popular in the Gorakhpur belt and he is notoriously famous for his 'ghar wapsi' and 'love jihad' campaigns.

Born on 5 June, 1972, in Panchur district of Uttarakhand, his father, Mahant Avaidyanath Maharaj, too was a religious leader. He graduated from HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Uttarakhand with a B.Sc degree.

Before he joined politics, he was a religious missionary and is the founder the Hindu Yuva Vahini

According to a report in NDTV, the news website has learnt from its sources that the Rashtriya Swayam Sangh, the mothership of the saffron party, has pressed in at the last moment to have its say in picking UP CM.

The news report also said that the BJP national president Amit Shah has been in touch with the RSS leadership and has briefed the right-wing establishment about the top names being considered in the race.

Congress leader Veerappa Moily called it the "biggest assault" on secularism, although the party's official reaction was tempered with caution, saying it will act as "watchdog of people's interest". The BJP, however, stood behind Yogi, notwithstanding his strident pro-Hindutva credentials, insisting he stands for development. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said UP will benefit a lot from his "competent leadership" and will soon become 'Uttam Pradesh'. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the lone Muslim minister in the Narendra Modi government, defended BJP's choice of Adityanath, saying he will work for the party's "inclusive growth" agenda.

— PTI

11:54 (IST)

Hard Hindutva to the fore but will pressure of governance be a sobering influence on Adityanath?

The selection of the Mahant of Gorakhnath Math as Uttar Pradesh chief minister makes one thing clear: BJP's politics in the state would revolve around hardline Hindutva in the coming days. The choice of the party's top decision-makers has to be deliberate and well-considered. Yogi Adityanath is not likely to be the one to play the soft Hindutva tune after assuming power. But he has to deliver on development too, and too much social tension won't work well for his government. This could sober him down a lot. How he balances both would be keenly watched.

11:23 (IST)

Yogi Adityanath says sabka saath, sabka vikas: Why it does not impress many

I will follow Modi's mantra 'sabka saath, sabka vikas', said Yogi Adityanath after being chosen by the party to be chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Why aren't many cheering the statement? Well, his track record as a Hindutva firebrand could be a bit unsettling for even those who have weakness for the Hindutva ideology. It is natural for them to be wary of someone who has no qualms about being unabashedly combative when it comes to religion. For those not in the know, he suggested that those who don't practice yoga should leave Hindustan. And those averse to doing suryanamaskar should jump into the sea. Of course, his hard views on the Muslim community are well-known. So when someone like him talks of sabka saath, sabka vikas it has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

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10:31 (IST)

By appointing Yogi Adityanath as UP CM, BJP has made its boldest ideological statement

For the first time, it is clear that the BJP is not being surreptitious about its ideological agenda. If it is branded as a hard core Hindutva party, so be it. No apologies required. It's confident that it can accommodate it with its development agenda without a conflict. This could have come from the renewed confidence from the mandate in the state where it mixed Hindu polarisation and issues of development with ease. The results told it that it can take along both. This could be the party's template for all future elections in states across the country.

It is difficult to see how Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to achieve his goal of inclusive development for all by giving the Uttar Pradesh chief minister's chair to a bigoted Hindutva hardliner who has made a career out of inflammatory anti-Muslim rhetoric. This isn't just legitimising the loony Right, but also telling Muslims that they are unwelcome in a state where they form nearly 20 percent of the population.

Yogi Adityanath's elevation as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh is part of Narendra Modi's vision of a "new India", AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi said on Saturday, taking a jibe at the decision.

​Owasi, a firebrand Muslim leader, said he was the least surprised by the decision.

This is an assault on India's age-old "ganga jamuni tehzeeb" -- a fusion of Hindu and Muslim cultures, he said.

"This is Modiji and BJP's new India. But this is not at all surprising. The Samajwadi Party cheated the Muslims when it was in power. And now we will see a model of exclusivist development. This is the 'vikas' they talk about," Owaisi told PTI.

While Owaisi was vocal on the issue, another prominent Muslim leader, Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari took a guarded approach, hoping Adityanath would shed his controversial past.

"I welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi's post-election statement that a government has to be run through consensus, not majority. I hope the new chief minister of Uttar Pradesh will follow these words. Hope the controversies will remain a thing of the past," Bukhari said.

BSP leader Sudhindra Bhadauria has said that the controversial leader's appointment as CM-designate has finally revealed BJP's true colours. Alleging the saffron party of practicing divisive politics, Bhadauria said that the move shows that the BJP has finally given up all pretense of being a development oriented party.

21:49 (IST)

Congress reacts to Yogi Adityanath's appointment, says 3 power centre's in UP govt show in-fight in BJP

Congress Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala has tweeted out the party's official statement, which lists out several of BJP's poll promises. The Congress statement also states that it will continue to be a watchdog for the people, while expressing hope that the new government will rise above everything and work for UP's development.

Speaking to NDTV correspondent, senior BJP leader Sidharth Nath Singh said that the way Yogi Adityanath is percieved is media's doing, while at heart the five-time MP remains a pro-development leader. He said that the BJP is synonymous to development and nobody and nothing could deter it from that. He also exuded confidence that Adityanath's government will run in keeping with Modi ji's Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas slogan.

20:50 (IST)

Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas on Yogi Adityanath's agenda

Speaking to the press after staking claim to form the government, Yogi Adityanath said that he is confident that he will be able to face the challenge of governing the state. He said that he will be able to promote Modi's agenda of Sabka sath sabka vikas, in the state.

20:44 (IST)

We will develop the state in line Modi ji's Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas slogan: UP CM designate

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chauhan has said that UP will soon transform into "Uttam Pradesh" under Yogi Adityanath's "able leadership." He said that Adityanath has been an able workhorse of the party and has the welfare of people at his heart. He also said that Adityanath's intent has always been to take everyone forward on the path of development.

20:12 (IST)

'Uttar Pradehs will soon be Uttam Pradesh in Adityanath's leadership'

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chauhan has said that UP will soon transform into "Uttam Pradesh" under Yogi Adityanath's "able leadership." He said that Adityanath has been an able workhorse of the party and has the welfare of people at his heart. He also said that Adityanath's intent has always been to take everyone forward on the path of development.

Venkaiah Naidu said that Yogi Adityanath sought the help of two deputies citing the complexity in running a state as vast as Uttar Pradesh. This paved the way for KP Maurya and Dinesh Sharma to be designated as deputy CMs.

Yogi Adityanath is a five-time Member of the Parliament from Gorakhpur constituency. He has represented the constituency in the Lok Sabha since 1998. His style of politics is popular in the Gorakhpur belt and he is notoriously famous for his 'ghar wapsi' and 'love jihad' campaigns.

Born on 5 June, 1972, in Panchur district of Uttarakhand, his father, Mahant Avaidyanath Maharaj, too was a religious leader. He graduated from HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Uttarakhand with a B.Sc degree.

Before he joined politics, he was a religious missionary and is the founder the Hindu Yuva Vahini

Official announcement yet to come even as media calls it for Yogi Adityanath

18:06 (IST)

Yogi Adityanath will be the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister

18:05 (IST)

Manoj Sinha stays away from BJP legislative meet, as word goes around that Union Minster has fallen out of race

Until yesterday, news organisations, including Firstpost, were predicting that Manoj Sinha will be the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. But something changed in the political contours of the state, and the man who was reportedly tipped to be the CM until yesterday, was sideliend on the D-day. As the BJP legislative meet is underway, the Minster camped in Varanasi away from the chaos.

Meanwhile... whether or not Adityanath wins the race, he is already on top of Twitter trends

Yogi Adityanath was the top trend on twitter, with 10.1 K tweets at the time of writing post. Other hashtags such as #Yogi4CM #yogi and #YOGIFORCM were also gaining traction on the microblogging site.

17:48 (IST)

BJP Mega meet starts as Venkaiah Naidu reaches venue of the meeting

17:45 (IST)

Does Yogi Adityanath's name entering the fray at last moment hints at RSS intervention?

Post the dawn of the Modi era, much was said and written about the new BJP that was run like a one-man show (or rather two-men show). Narendra Modi and Amit Shah were considered as the people who pulled the strings. However, the way Manoj Sinha, who was said to be Modi's pick was sidelined, sends a signal that there could have been a last moment intervention by the RSS to get its man appointed at the top job.

This brings to mind the question, who really calls the shot in the saffron party.

Crowd rooting for Yogi Adityanath has, in the meantime, swelled outside Lok Bhawan and chants of slogans in favour of Yogi Adityanath were heard. As the cavalcade of Adityanath entered the venue, his supporters cheered the Gorakhpur MP as the next UP CM.

17:34 (IST)

Venkaiah Naidu holds emergency meeting with UP CM frontrunners

The top contenders in Uttar Pradesh are making the decision really tough for the BJP. In a hurried emergency meet held before the MLAs meeting, Venkaiah Naidu had spoken to Yogi Adityanath, and Keshav Prasad Maurya amid others.

17:31 (IST)

Venkaiah Naidu calls Kalraj Mishra to attend BJP legislative meet

According to CNN-News18, Venkaiah Naidu had requested the presence of senior BJP leader Kalraj Mishra to ensure that discipline is maintained amid the supporters of the losing group.

17:26 (IST)

Bhupendra Yadav, BJP observer reaches Lok Bhawan

17:25 (IST)

As speculations around UP CM pick go haywire, two deputy CMs could be the BJPs masterstroke in the game of castes

Given the enormity of BJP’s win in the Assembly elections, BJP is worried about proper representation of various castes that voted for the party. Between Manoj Sinha, Yogi Adityanath, and Keshav Prasad Maurya, the chief minister candidate is likely to come from the Poorvanchal. However, by naming someone from the western belt and a different caste base from that of the chief ministerial pick, can help the party accommodate proper representation to all groups.

17:11 (IST)

UP to have two deputy CMs?

Just as we had all news channels convinced that Manoj Sinha will indeed be the UP CM and it ws near fixed, a sudden surge of speculations around Yogi Adityanath's name sent news organisations into a tizzy.

Meanwhile, CNN-News 18 reported that the BJP could be mulling to introduce two deputy chief ministers in the state, and KP Maurya and Dinesh Sharma are considered to be the frontrunners for the post of second-in-command.

The BJP on Saturday elected Gorakhpur Lok Sabha MP Yogi Adityanath, a firebrand Hindutva leader, as the new Uttar Pradesh chief minister in a meeting of the newly-elected 312 party legislators in Lucknow, party state unit chief Keshav Prasad Maurya said.

Maurya said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party meeting also decided to have two deputy chief ministers — Maurya, and Lucknow mayor Dinesh Sharma.

"Yogi Adityanath is the chief minister," Maurya told reporters, after the meeting in Lucknow. "I am thankful for the decision. Dinesh Sharma and I are the deputy chief ministers," the BJP leader said, adding people's "welfare is the priority" for the new government in Uttar Pradesh.

Adityanath's name was proposed by BJP leader Suresh Khanna and supported by Union information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu. "It was a consensus decision," said Union minister of state for railways Manoj Sinha, who was also in the race for the post.

Known for his firebrand Hindutva image, the 44-year-old leader comes from the Rajput community and is the head of the Gorakhnath Mutt, which has millions of followers from eastern UP and neighbouring Nepal. He has been elected as the Lok Sabha MP from Gorakhpur uninterrupted from 1998.

A science graduate, Adityanath is popular for his fiery speeches among his supporters but has antagonised minorities by his statements like "Love Jihad" and "Ghar Wapasi".

This is for the first time that the state will have two deputy chief ministers.

BJP sources told IANS that this has been done to balance caste aspirations since now there is a Rajput as chief minister and an MBC and a Brahmin face as deputy CMs.